long remembered at the Hot Wells, Bristol, where he afterwards lived, and where he died much respected. The history of Tunbridge Wells is curious. By the dissipations of fashionable life, Dudley, third Lord North, a distinguished person at the Court of James I, had greatly debilitated his constitution. Change of air was prescribed by his physicians as the only mode of re-establishing his health. Accordingly, in 1606, at the age of twenty-five, he found a temporary retreat at Eridge House, now Eridge Castle, the residence of my dear cousin Lord Abergavenny. It was then, however, a mere sporting lodge, a great part of the ancient mansion having fallen into decay since Queen Elizabeth on her progress through Sussex had stayed there and shot a buck in the park. Though Eridge was most romantically situated in a wild and beautiful country, the lack of human intercourse and the seclusion palled upon Lord North, and, notwithstanding the remonstrances of his friends, he soon determined to return to London. Almost at the commencement of his journey-for Eridge House is only about two miles from Tunbridge Wells-in passing through a wood he observed some water on the surface of which floated a shining mineral scum, and at the bottom appeared a pecipitate of ochreous particles. Tasting this water, he found it ferruginous; and believing that it contained medicinal virtues, he directed some of it to be conveyed to London, where he consulted his physicians on its properties. In due course they submitted the water to such chemical tests as were then in use; and, having been satisfied of its virtues, advised their noble patient to give it a trial. Acting upon this advice, Lord North returned to Eridge House in the ensuing spring; remained there three months, drinking the water, and aiding its effect by air and exercise; and, at the expiration of that term, he became a stouter, stronger, healthier man than ever; the best proof of which is, that he lived till the year 1666, and then died at the age of eighty-five. Lord North was not slow in promulgating his discovery, the effects of which were extensively promoted by the Lord Abergavenny of that day, on the borders of whose estate the water had its rise. He ordered the ground about the springs to be cleared from the surrounding rubbish, and sent for an expert from London, with whose assistance he distinguished the two principal of seven several springs. Wells were then sunk, a stone pavement laid round, and the whole enclosed with wooden rails in a triangular form. As a result of the growth of the town of Tunbridge Wells, Lord Abergavenny's estate greatly improved in value, with the result that eventually, in 1787, the old house at Eridge was enlarged, and more or less rebuilt in the Strawberry Hill Gothic style. The quaint old print reproduced shows Eridge Castle as it was about 1812. The little boy playing in front, Master Reginald Nevill, afterwards became my husband. Abergavenny, Lord, 333, 334 INDEX Actors and actresses, 246; privileges Adelaide, Queen, her mania for collect- Americans, their social domination in Anglesey, Lord, 175 Aristocracy in old days, 200, 201, Armadale, Lord, anecdote of his son, Asquith, Mr., 126 Atkyns, Mrs., 225 Automobile Club, the, 299 Béranger, 111, 112 Berkeley Square, 172, 173, 293 "Bomba dollars," 329, 330 Bradford, the late Sir Edward, 270 Brougham, Lord, 118 Brown, Mrs., and her fountain, 294 "Bucks," a curious old house, 241, 242 Burdett-Coutts, the late Baroness, 232 Cambridge House, its various names, Campbell, Sir Colin, his views about Canning, 119, 147, 264 Carlyle, 2; letter from, 16, 17, 266 Castiglione, Madame de, her silence, Cats, curious refuge for, 59 Chartists, 107, 108 Chatterton, Lady, 2 Church services abolished in 1859, 249 Clarence, Duke of, story concerning, Clergymen's dress, its origin, 250 Cornwall, Sir John, 158 Coronation of King George V, ex- Country gentry, their life, 243, 247 parsons of old days, anecdotes, Cowley, Lord, 180 Curzon, Lord, his public spirit, 246 Dandies of old days, 185-9 d'Aumale, Duc, on Henri IV, 205 Devonshire, Dukes of, custom in family Gambier, Lord, 2 Gardening, "intensive," 257 George V, King, 31, 206, 208 Gibbs, James, great London architect, Gilbert, the late Sir William, his Gordon, Duchess of, 215 Gould, Sir F. Carruthers, 13, 14 the past, 191, 192; sleepy methods "Great Eastern," the, anecdote con- Groves, Mrs., refuses to pay toll, 40 Halsbury, Lord, 123; his fearless Hanbury Church and its bells, 248 Hawes, Mrs., her collection of teapots, Henry, Sir Edward, 270 Lord Steyne), the writer's re- fourth Marquis of, 196, 197 Home Rule, 109 House of Commons, 119, 124 Lords, 118, 124, 125, 127 Hudson, Mr., 6, 7 Huguenots, descendants of French, in Hume, John William, an impostor, 61, 62 Hyde Park, then and now, 174-6 Hyndman, Mr. H. M., 81, 82 Iddesleigh, Lord, his classical know- Impostors, 271, 272 "Improvements," Inge, Dr., 112 302, 303 Lytton, the late Lord, his criticism of Malakoff, Duc de, his telegram to Mackenzie, Duncan, the last of the Inns of the past, bad accommodation at, Malmesbury, Lord, 194 63, 64 Irving, Sir Henry, 226 Ismail, the Khedive, anecdote of, 24 Jackson and Graham, 286 Edward, Manners, Lord John, 16 Manners, old and new, 144-69 Mary, Queen, her interest in fabrics of Maxwell, Mr. (author), 328 Joinville, Prince de, anecdote of, 52, 53 Mayne, Sir Richard, 264, 269 Keepsake, the, 16 Kendal, Mr. and Mrs., 226 Kenyon, Lord, 185 Medical men, anecdotes of, 4, 5 Michelham, Lord, 296; statue of his King's Messengers in old days, 192, 193❘ Miller, William, 44 Ladies and gentlemen, 144 Lances of the "gallant six hundred," Layard, Sir Henry, 110 Minerva Press, the, 17 Montagu, Lady, 268 Morier, Sir Robert, anecdote of, 49; Leech, John, disturbed by street music, Morny, Duc de, 146; anecdote con- 265, 266 Legal charges, 306, 307 Lemanns (biscuit makers), 39 Lemon, Mark, his letter concerning street music, 265, 266 Lighting, 10 Literature, demoralizing, 17-20 cerning, 159, 160, 179 Mulready, R.A., William, 315, 316 Murray Scott, the late Sir John, 199, 200 Napoleon's autograph, 322, 331 Lloyd George, Mr., 104, 105, 108, 117 Nelson's tomb, 296, 297 Newman, Antony King, 17 Ogilby, a French Huguenot family which Oldfield, Mrs., ancestress of writer, 226 221; his epitaph, 222; erects me- |